Discussion Responses

Looking back on this unit, I have enjoyed the variety of subjects covered, but I wish I had had more time to spend on the activities. Of the weekly topics, my favourite was data visualisation, and I am glad that I chose this topic for my final essay as I still found it interesting even after reading a bunch of texts on it! I would have liked the opportunity to create more of my own visualisations, and have plans to do so over the upcoming break. This topic could almost be its own unit and I hope that it comes up again later in my degree.

I also enjoyed the week we spent on Michel Gondry and film. This is a medium which I know little about and it was interesting to read about it and watch the videos. Also, when the set reading is a movie, it’s a welcome relief!

I appreciated the two tasks which focussed on the final essay, the first which got me to start my reading early and the second which got me to see that I had more reading to do! I find academic reading a hard task to stick to, so it was great to have those reminders along the way so I wasn’t stuck reading when I was supposed to be up to the writing part.

The continued use of referencing was a pain to begin with, but now I feel quite confident with the APA style.

As someone who is completely new to Design, this was a great introduction to the different kinds of works available to design professionals, and it gave me hope that I, someone who is truly not gifted with artistic ability, will be able find my special niche in this world.

Thanks for an interesting unit Anna, and thanks for your excellent turnaround times for marking and always helpful feedback!

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Option 1: Data visualisation

The gathering, conceptualisation and presentation of data in 2D and 3D formats and more recently, using digital technologies to create interactive interfaces, has the capacity to transform our understanding of an issue.

Below is my current reference list for my major essay on data visualisation. My topic of choice is data visualisation in popular culture, and my three examples deal with movies, music, and television. I have not yet finished sourcing references for my essay, so I expect that my reference list will grow as I continue to refine my essay plan and initial drafts.

REFERENCE LIST

You must read/view all texts and media in the list of Set readings/viewing for your question. (List your research using APA 6th Edition referencing.)

Technology has developed significantly over the past century, and these advancements have also increased our capacity for collecting, storing and analysing data. In 1986 the average person would be exposed to 40 85-page newspapers each day, and by 2007 this number had increased to 147 newspapers each day (Krum, 2014). Communication designers have an important role to play in the translation of this vast quantity of data into clear, concise and visually appealing data visualisations and infographics.

Dur (2014) writes of the importance of ensuring that design students are taught how to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines in ways which will enable them to more actively discover, understand and interpret information. A well-designed data visualisation has the ability to reach and engage a wider audience, and can be used to persuade, motivate and activate people. The visualisation of information allows non-experts to identify patterns and connections, and it is the role of the designer to use design elements such as colour, texture, size and dimension to emphasise the key messages (Dur, 2014).

It is important that data visualisations are aesthetically pleasing, as this will affect people’s willingness to interact and engage with them (Quispel & Maes, 2014). Most data visualisations that are published in the mass media are quite simple, such as bar charts and pie charts, and these simple layouts can be understood very easily and quickly. However, if the goal is to engage and entrap the attention of a wider audience, then data visualisations should also be designed to be visually appealing, and should invite viewers to further explore and connect with the information (Dur, 2014).

The term “activism” is commonly used when referring to activities that demand social or political change, such as protests, marches, and petitions. In the world of design, activism takes on many different forms, including posters, videos, images, artworks, and even architecture. Design efforts can be considered to be activism if they identify an issue and encourage change in order to rectify the found problem, working on behalf of a neglected, excluded or disadvantaged group, and does so in a way which disrupts the norm through unorthodox methods (Thorpe, 2011, p. 6).

An example of design activism is Inkahoots Social Buttons installation in Caggara House in Mount Gravatt (Inkahoots, n.d.). Caggara House was developed by Brisbane Housing Company to provide affordable public housing to tenants over 55 years of age (The Senior, 2016). The Social Buttons installation consists of three large buttons which can be used to vote on social activities. The user selects their preferred activity from a given list by pressing the first button, then selects their preferences for where and when by pressing the second and third buttons. The votes are tallied each month and the most popular choice is sent to the residents by text message, and the housing organisation takes care of any transport requirements (Zuber, n.d.).

The Social Buttons meets the criteria for design activism as defined by Thorpe as it identifies the issue that older tenants may have difficulty making social connections, and it serves as a vehicle of change as it allows and encourages the tenants to attend social activities. The over-55 demographic is one which is often neglected by technological advances, and the installation provides a unique bridge between the tenants and the data collection and communication technology that lies behind the buttons.

The First Things First Manifesto (Emigre, 1999) reads like a call to arms for designers, urging them to become more socially conscious of the projects they choose to pursue. The manifesto shames design professionals for allowing the world to see only the marketing and advertising facets of the profession and encourages designers to use their talents and communication prowess to promote bigger and deeper world issues.

Michael Beirut’s 2007 response to the manifesto condemns the authors for their opinions, and argues that commercial work is just as important as work which pushes world issues, and that the real world is not as simple as the manifesto makes it out to be. Beirut sees design as more than just creating demand for commercial goods, and credits consumers with more free will and intelligence than the manifesto gives them credit for.

While I agree with the sentiment of the manifesto – that everyone should try to make the world a better place – I think it’s a idealistic viewpoint. Not every designer would have the financial freedom to only take on work which has a social impact, and not every designer would have these opportunities presented to them. Projects which have an important message to tell the world are not likely to have the same budget for design, marketing and advertising that a large corporation releasing a brand new soft drink would.

I believe that designers should take every job as an opportunity to improve the community, the retail environment, the target market, and so on. Everyday consumers deserve to have positive experiences, whether they are seeking information on cancer treatments, choosing a health insurance provider, or purchasing groceries at their local store. Designers must ensure they are providing the public with intelligently designed outputs which also serve their clients well, and should continually strive to better (not just beautify) the world.